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Travel Guide - Artemisa, Cuba

Artemisa province was constituted in 2010 from the 8 western municipalities of La Habana, and the 3 eastern municipalities from its neighbour Pinar del Río province. The capital and largest city is Artemisa with a population of 44,000.

Bauta is located 25 miles southwest of the city of Havana in the new province of Artemisa, Cuba. Its territory covers 143 square kilometers.

Bauta is a regional trading center for the local farm community. Regional crops include sugarcane, pineapple, tobacco, root vegetables, and citrus fruits. In recent years Bauta has become a haven for Cuban artists and musicians.

Bauta is probably best known internationally as the site of a Soviet listening post that spied on the United States until 2000, when the facility, known as the Lourdes Base was closed by the Russian government.

Guanajay

Guanajay is a town in western Cuba, about 36 miles southwest of Havana. The town lies among hills and has an excellent climate. Iin colonial times it was an acclimatization station for newly-arrived troops from Spain. It later became well known as a health resort.

Guanajay was an ancient settlement of considerable size & importance as early as the end of the 18th century.

The country surrounding Guanajay is a fertile sugar and tobacco region, and historically it has been an important distributing point in the commerce of the western end of the island.

San Antonio de Los Banos

San Antonio de los Banos, a small town where Hotel Las Yagrumas is located, is less than 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the capital, on the bank of the Ariguanabo River, surrounded by woods rich in forest galleries and lush local flora y fauna, offer you the special peace of its natural setting.

If you like hiking, the Las Yagrumas Trail will prove a pleasant test of your abilities. It goes a mile and a quarter (2 kilometers) from the Hotel Las Yagrumas to Corderos (Sheep) Cave, taking you through areas where you can observe Mockingbirds, Emerald Hummingbirds and royal palm trees. End your hike with a refreshing dip in the Ariguanabo River.

Soroa, also known as Cuba's Rainbow, is 70 kilometers west of the Cuban capital. It is a site of breathtaking natural beauty, with a 22-meter waterfall that invites visitors to take a refreshing swim any time of the year.

The region's unspoilt lush environment is perfect cycling and mountain climbing, with excursions on the banks of the Manatiales River and unique baths at the so-called "Poza del Amor" (Pond of Love).

One big attraction of Soroa is the nearby botanical gardens which contain an excellent orchidarium, home to more than 700 different types of orchild. The surrounding countryside is lush, hilly and very pleasant to wander around.

For those into birdwatching, there are several viewing stations dotted around for photographers. The area affords fabulous opportunities for fauna and flora shots.

Las Terrazas is situated in Sierra del Rosario, one of Cuba's natural strongholds, which was designated a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1985.

The history of coffee cultivation, which started in the region in the 19th century, is one of the major attractions for customers at the Buenavista Restaurant, which was built on the ruins of the coffee farm of same name, founded by French immigrants.